Unknown Love Story
by Nejitenness
Summary: Everyone has started a new life with the love of their life except Tenten. "Fate has chosen you, of all kunoichi in Konoha, to have your beloved man dead because you are the strongest one." One of the reasons why Neji is gone is not the unfair fate; it's because Tenten is the toughest of all kunoichi. NejiTen, Team Gai because we simply need them.


**Warning:** The plot might be ridiculously weird, but this is canon for me. Dedicated to my one and only OTP and remaining NejiTen believers out there. We should get an award for being the toughest fandom ever (with all this angstiness and sad ending).

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><p>"Tenten, my friend," Lee called, "may I ask you something?"<p>

"Mm?" Tenten sipped her tea from a cup slowly, enjoying the warmth around her fingers and the familiar taste on her tongue. "What is it?"

The bowl haired man stared at her seriously. "Why… why don't you marry someone?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't want to."

"But—"

"You have asked me about this for seven times already," Tenten snapped, her brown eyes darkening. "Please, Lee. You know I hate being asked the same question a few times."

"Everyone is living a happy life now. All kunoichi our age is married, even I married someone and I have a son now, but you stay like this!"

"I won't marry someone just because all my friends are already married." Tenten said firmly, eyes narrowing.

"You don't get my point. I want the best for you, Tenten. I want to see you live happily with a husband and children and—"

"Do you think I'm not living a happy life now? I am perfectly happy, in case you didn't know! I have become a Jounin and I have this weapon store I love so much. I am enjoying my life even if I live alone. Or do you think I need a husband to protect and take care of me? I don't need that, Lee. I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"Well, if you don't want to have a husband, why don't you have a boyfriend, at least? You are always kind to many men who are interested in you, but you never return their feelings. Just tell me why?"

She gripped her cup tightly it nearly broke. "That is none of your business, Lee!"

"None? None, you said?" For the first time in their life, Lee yelled at Tenten, almost making her back away in fear and shock. "You are my best friend! I've known you since we were twelve and we've gotten through many things in life! I care so much about you, Tenten. Neji and I have this promise to Gai-sensei, and now that Neji left us, I am the one who is responsible for this!"

_They thought she was asleep, but she was actually awake. She felt so cold, even the thick blankets that covered her body and the bonfire not far from her sleeping bag couldn't keep her warm._

"_Gai-sensei, will Tenten be alright?" She heard Lee's whisper._

"_Of course, young Lee," Gai responded. "Fortunately we got the antidote before the poison could spread through her whole body. Don't worry, her fever will be gone tomorrow morning."_

"_I am so sorry, Sensei," Lee said again, and she instinctively knew that he was about to cry. "I couldn't protect our team's youthful flower! She would have been dead if you didn't come in time. I should have__—__"_

"_Don't worry. This is a lesson for you two not to let anything bad happen to her anymore."_

_No one spoke for a moment._

"_Promise me," Gai's voice was serious and stern unlike usual, "that you will always be there for her, even after you grow up. Care about her like she is your own sister, even though she is strong enough to take care of herself. Because…" Tenten held her breath as she waited. "She thinks of you as her brothers as well. You are her family."_

"_I promise, Gai-sensei!" Lee answered in his serious, determined tone._

"_Good." There was a pause. "Nej__—__"_

"_I promise." Neji's voice was calm, steady, and firm like how he was._

_Closing her eyes, Tenten had never been so thankful in her life. Lee, Neji, and Gai-sensei were enough for her to not ask the heaven anymore why she was fated as an orphan, without surname, without family. She smiled silently as their words brought warmth to her, lulling her to sleep._

_Lee always kept his promise until now. No matter how busy he was, he would always find time to visit her, to train with her or to treat her lunch._

_Neji, however, broke his promise years later in the Fourth Shinobi World War by leaving her; forever._

Tenten controlled her breath, trying her best to calm down. "Please don't talk about it."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you. But," Lee said while lowering his eyes. "You cannot hope for Neji to come back, Tenten."

Silence.

Tenten stared at Lee with wide eyes, too shocked to say anything.

"Don't think I don't know. I found out in our younger years that you had a special feeling for our friend. Stop hiding, Tenten. You act like you are fine without him, but in fact…" Lee clenched his fists. "I know that you still love him."

"Lee," she said softly, making him lift his head in surprise. "Get out."

Lee's round eyes widened. "Tenten?"

"Go away," she said without looking at him. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

The tall man took a deep breath, then walking to the door of her weapon store. "Just remember, Tenten. Neji won't be happy seeing you like this from the heaven. Just like me, he wants all the best for you. Although I said he would always live in our hearts… you have to accept the fact that he won't come back." He turned around to meet her eyes. "I know he loved you. Even if he never said anything. But knowing Neji, I know he would hate watching you suffer."

With a polite nod, he left.

The air around her weapon store felt frigid suddenly. She put her half-empty cup on the desk, walking to the door to lock it and pull the wooden curtains down to let people know the store was closed early today.

She pressed her back to the door, lowering herself just so she could sit and hug her knees. Her eyes watched the label 'not for sale' in front of Bashosen and sealing tools as the sound of rain outside started to heard.

It seemed like a storm would come soon, Tenten smiled bitterly. People didn't know her feelings, but the sky would always understand.

So, there she sat for what seemed like endless hours, only listening to the sound of rain and thunder and watching her favorite weapons from her sitting position. She didn't move a bit, waiting until her eyes were heavy enough to bring her to sleep.

She needed him right now; she wanted to meet him.

And finally he came.

"Lee is right."

Tenten closed her eyes, still not adjusted to the darkness. "No, he is wrong."

She must have been sleeping now. She was in her dream, the only place she could meet him.

He was standing in front of her, in his war attire—old-version green vest, black long sleeved shirt and black pants. His skin was still pale, his hair was still long and brown and his eyes were still white. The only difference was that he didn't wear anything to cover his forehead—now, his forehead was free from any green mark. He looked so young, as young as the last time she'd seen him. He looked clean without any blood and wound. He was perfect as how she remembered he'd once been. He looked like a pure, clean, free white bird.

Everything around them was dark; she didn't know why but she could never see anything other than his form. It was as if his body glowed for her, just as he'd always been, a source of light for her.

There was a moment of silence. "You could've married someone if you wanted to."

"Neji," tears forced her to open her eyes. "Please don't talk about marrying someone. Please don't make this any harder for me."

He was silent for a few seconds. "I have no intention to."

She let her tears roll down her cheeks freely this time. No. She knew she had to stop it, but the last strength she had in her had flown away.

"_Neji, wait."_

_The long haired genius turned around to look at her questioningly._

"_Um…" Tenten hesitated before extending her hand. "For you."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"_

"_Good luck charm necklace," she said sheepishly. "I made four. For you, Lee, Gai-sensei and me."_

_Neji took the necklace and their fingers brushed for a second, enough to send some strange feeling through her whole body._

_He lifted it to eye level and observed the small pendant. "Hn. You believe in things like this?"_

_Narrowing her eyes, Tenten crossed her arms. "War starts soon," she said. "I just want you all to be safe. We're going to be in separated divisions. I won't be able to protect your blind spot or stop Lee and Gai-sensei from doing anything reckless, Neji."_

_Something in his pale eyes darkened, and she decided to ignore the sinking feeling that suddenly struck her. "I was kidding. Thank you for this."_

"_Neji-san!"_

_Another white eyed man appeared all of a sudden. Panting, his eyes turned to Neji. "Tsunade-sama is looking for you. Now."_

_Tenten wanted to say something, but Neji had turned to her. "I'm leaving. You should go home now."_

_Before she could give any response, the two Hyuugas had left her._

_Sighing, Tenten leaned to press her back to the nearest tree trunk, looking up at the orange horizon. Sun was setting now, and she knew she had to go home as Neji had told her but she couldn't help staring at their training ground, the witness of their strengthened bond since they were twelve._

_She forgot to ask Neji if he would wear the necklace during the war._

_Until the war came to an end, until Neji was finally dead, she forgot about it._

_After Neji's bloody corpse was cleaned, an hour before his burial, Lee came to her._

_He looked down at the floor, holding his hand out and revealing the necklace. "They found this around Neji's neck."_

_She stared at the necklace and took it from his hand._

_Lee lifted his face, showing her that tears had run down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Tenten."_

_Tenten smiled, not realizing that her own hot tears had started to form in her chocolate eyes the moment she'd seen the necklace._

_Her only remaining teammate hugged her, pulling her to his chest just so she could sob uncontrollably on his shoulder. "It's okay, Tenten," he whispered. "It's okay to cry now. Don't hold back."_

_And for the first time after she saw Neji die, Tenten was crying. Her body shook greatly as she clung desperately to Lee, who tearfully clung to her too, now that they only had each other as teammates. Nobody knew except Lee__—__and Gai-sensei who she knew had been sitting silently in his wheelchair, not far behind her. She was sure their sensei was crying too, only not as loud as her and Lee. The sound of their cries was painful, heartbreaking. Never once had she thought that someday, someday this soon they would have to experience this, weeping over the loss of one of them. A part of them. The love of her life._

_The sorrow overwhelmed her and she drowned in tears with an excuse that this would be the last time she cried over him. She wouldn't show people her tears at Neji's funeral. Only Lee and Gai-sensei were allowed to see how much she was actually dying inside._

_The necklace in her tight grip hadn't protected Neji__—__even though he, without telling her, had been wearing it during the war until the end of his life. He had believed in her, but she had failed him._

"I want to go with you."

She didn't see him, but she knew he tensed. "No. You can't."

"Why?" Tenten whispered hoarsely, not wanting to stare at his face. "I'm tired of this. No one understands me other than you—even Lee doesn't! Please Neji… take me with you."

"You know I can't, Tenten," he whispered back. "You still have a long life ahead of you. Just finish your duty in your world and you can go to my place."

"No," she didn't know why she couldn't stop shaking. "I want to go. Now. Or I have to kill myse—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Neji snapped angrily. "Don't ever think about hurting yourself, moreover… doing suicide." She shivered at the thought, and he continued. "Don't think I won't be watching you. I will never let you do anything harmful."

She didn't reply, afraid that if she spoke her voice would burst in sobs.

"Tenten," his voice sounded soft now. "Please look at me."

"No."

"Tenten."

"I said no!" Tenten hugged herself. "What's the point of seeing you without being able to touch you?"

"Tenten…"

"Enough, Neji," she let herself sink down to the ground, hugging her knees tightly. "I'm not strong enough for this. Fate is unfair."

"Why?"

"Everyone else gets their happiness with the man they have loved from the start. Naruto finally noticed Hinata, Shikamaru and Temari finally admitted their feelings, Sakura finally melted Sasuke's heart, Ino and Sai, and every other woman married the love of their life too. Me? What did I get? I really hoped we would be together someday and before I could even tell you anything, Heaven took you from me, I'm alone now and I can't move on from you! I can't fall in love with any other man! Why? Did I ever do something wrong?"

Her lips trembled and she couldn't stop it. "Why, Neji? Shouldn't I be able to choose my own fate? Why is it unfair? People think I'm either more than strong or heartless for not crying over your death. People think I'm an independent woman that doesn't need a man in her life. I've been only pretending all this time, Neji. I'm a liar."

"You're not," he said. "It's just your decision not to tell anyone. It's just that people wouldn't believe you if you said you could see me."

He had visited her dream since two months after his death, and Tenten didn't want to tell anyone about this. They would think she'd gone crazy, and most important, they wouldn't believe that the reason why she stayed being single was because Neji had promised to wait for her in the afterlife until she joined him. They only talked in her dreams, but she knew this ghost was real, that this wasn't only her imagination. This was the real Neji. He didn't come often, but whenever she needed him he would always appear in her dream.

Unfortunately, in those dreams she could never touch him. Everytime she reached out to touch his face or his arm, she felt only empty air.

"But Neji… I just want to live a normal life with you. I want to touch you. Not in dreams like this." She said tremblingly. "It's hard to live like this."

"You want me to stop visiting your dreams?"

Tenten opened her eyes in surprise, only to meet a pair of white eyes in front of her. Neji had knelt down right before her.

"I can do that. I can stop visiting you. However," he stopped for a while. "I'll still be waiting for you. I made a promise and I'm not going to break it this time."

"No, please," Tenten begged, "don't do that. I still need to see you."

Silence surrounded them as she controlled her sobs before he broke it. "This time, unfortunately fate decided this for you and you have no choice other than to accept it. But, it's not that fate is unfair. Why you, the only one of all kunoichi in Konoha have to live like this? Fate has chosen you to get through this because you are the strongest one of them all. Hasn't that thought ever occurred to you?"

His white eyes stared into her brown ones intensely. "I don't think any other woman is strong enough for this. But you, you are capable to do this. Fate provides no choice because you're going to deal with losing your beloved man in a tough way. There's no 'if only' and 'how if' for you. As much as how I don't regret sacrificing my life for Hinata-sama and Naruto, please don't regret anything that happened to us. We are given our own story that no one else can't survive through."

Her tearful eyes widened.

He smiled at her. "I can't wipe away your tears. But just know this; I will not leave until you stop crying."

The painful weight lifted from her heart and she wiped her cheeks with her own hands; smiling at the thought that Neji let her do this just because he wanted her to be strong.

"I understand."

"Good. Tomorrow, go apologize to Lee," Neji said. "He just doesn't know about this, and it is understandable. He only wants you to be happy."

Tenten nodded. "I will. I just wish that we could talk again, the three of us."

He took a deep breath. "We will. Sometime, after you two join me here. We can reform Team Gai."

"Why don't you include Gai-sensei then?" She giggled, sounding like her usual self now. "Just imagine what other antics they would do in afterlife."

The Hyuuga prodigy grunted. "At least you'll still be sane."

Her lips formed a gentle smile. "Please be patient. I don't know when I will come to you, but… I promise that time will finally come."

"Sure. I'll always wait for you." He touched her cheek, and even though she couldn't feel anything on her skin, she felt her heart flutter as if the person before her now wasn't a ghost. "Sleep now. I will be watching you on your mission tomorrow."

"I know," Tenten beamed at him. "You will keep me safe somehow, right?"

"Yes. Do your best. Remember that your life is not only yours." Tenten grinned at the words he'd said to Naruto when he had died five years ago, making Neji's lips turn upwards as well. "Goodnight, Tenten."

She closed her eyes, only needing a minute to fall into a dreamless yet peaceful sleep, content with the thought that even though she couldn't touch him, she could still talk to him and see his smile, even if only in her dreams. The thought that Neji believed she was strong.

She would be okay again tomorrow morning, when she woke up to find herself leaning against her weapon store door alone.

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><p>Exactly seventeen years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Tenten died.<p>

She died in the next war, just like Neji had. She had done her best to protect Konoha, the village she had vowed to defend until her death. She died at only thirty five, but she died as an honorable kunoichi, the one and only Konoha Weapon Mistress, the beautiful, bun haired independent woman that had been strong enough to live by herself alone, not needing any man's company.

Because they knew nothing about Neji's promise to her.

Now, facing the man she loved with all of her heart, Tenten stood at a beautiful place she didn't know. This time it wasn't dark like in her former dreams. Neji looked the same, but this time he looked so real, so _alive,_ no longer an untouchable ghost she'd seen for years.

"Welcome, Tenten," he greeted her, his lips forming a rare smile.

"Neji," without thinking she threw herself in his arms. She met solid chest and strong arms that felt so real. This was happiness, this was freedom, and she found herself back just by hugging him. She caught a glimpse of her good luck charm necklace hanging from his neck and couldn't have been happier. "Neji. I've missed you."

"You're here," he breathed into her ear—even his breath felt so real and his familiar, masculine voice brought warmth to her chest. "You're finally here. I've waited for so long. Seventeen years."

She laughed, almost crying from pure joy. "This is bad. I must look seventeen years older than you."

He smirked. "No. You are as young as me now."

She pulled away and touched her own cheek, blushing embarrassedly. "Really?"

"Instead of touching your own face," he whispered, his pale orbs focusing on her, "why don't you touch mine?"

Lifting her shaking hand, she stared into his white eyes and finally, finally her fingers found his soft skin, his cheek warm beneath her palm. "You're real now."

"I am," Neji assured her. "Now that you're here, I have promised my parents to introduce you to them. They are so eager to meet you. After that, can we spend some time alone?"

"Wait."

"What?"

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage. "I… I want to kiss you."

Neji raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Well, why don't you just do it?"

She swore her face was as red as tomato. "This will be my first kiss, Neji."

"I know," his eyes softened. "I too haven't kissed any—"

He couldn't finish his sentence because Tenten tiptoed and pressed her lips to his. Seventeen years of waiting, seventeen years of staying single and keeping herself from any other man because she wanted to give all of her to Neji was really worth it; as he smiled into their kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer. She felt new, she felt the urge to keep him close like this. His lips were so warm, his grip on her waist was firm but gentle, and she knew she would do anything to feel like this. What made it better was the knowledge that they had forever; they had all the time in this afterlife to do whatever they wanted, to do whatever it was that they had waited for so long. There wouldn't be an end for this.

And when she felt some wetness—tears, she supposed—on her cheeks, she couldn't tell whose tears it was, hers or Neji's. After all, Neji had changed from that arrogant boy to a wise and mature man who could only make her fall in love deeper, even deeper.

It was as if kissing him for hours wouldn't be enough. She drank all of him with the kiss, silently thanking fate that finally gave her this; that had finally seen how strong she had been after Neji's death before giving him to her in the end.

They pulled away with difficulty, none of them wanted to let go.

Neji pressed their foreheads together, breathing the air she'd just let out and smiling—smiling for her. "Thank you for being strong for me the past seventeen years."

"No," Tenten smiled back, trailing her thumbs down his cheekbones. "Thank you for making me strong the past seventeen years."

He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her again, forgetting about Hyuuga Hizashi and his wife who had been waiting impatiently to meet someone their son had told them he'd been waiting for. The love of his life, he had proudly said.

Because among all the loves in Konoha, their love was the strongest, the hardest, the most difficult; their love was different, special and immortal. Their love blossomed even more in the afterlife.

Their love consisted of death, ghost, dreams, waiting, patience, sorrow, and secrets.

Their love story was unseen, known by no one in the world.

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><p><strong>(AN):** I'm going to ramble here, kindly leave if you won't hear this. (Contain hot rage that could turn a raw egg into a boiled one).

So, a few pairings are official now. I respect them and congratulate the shippers, but my own OTP? Only fans' old dream? I'm done.

I am truly hurt, disappointed, wounded, and broken because of this. Imagine this; of all pairing fandoms in Naruto, only NejiTen fans that are left heartbroken. (By pairing fandoms, I mean those who have many hints, not the crack ones). For God's sake, we wouldn't have created NejiTen forums, fanarts, and fanficts if only this pairing wasn't hinted much. It hurts me to see there were many supporters of this pairing, but the ending just destroyed it all. It hurts more that I am happened to be a part of this fandom for years, a crazy one to be exact.

Not to mention, Tenten. As if her as-short-as-someone's-fart appearances all this time are more than enough, she got only a half of a page in the latest databook. As if she is that unimportant. Also, Team Gai wasn't shown at Neji's funeral. What is wrong here? They're his teammates, for Lee's eyebrows sake! I respect Ino-Shika-Cho, but they shouldn't have appeared in that panel. It was supposed to be Tenten, Lee, and Gai. (Or if it was Hiashi, Hanabi, and other Hyuugas, I wouldn't protest either). Does Team Gai really not care about Neji? As far as I know, they are a team that is known with strong, mature bond. Now we can only see Neji's gravestone, Gai and his forever injured right leg, and Tenten as the only female that isn't married. It pierces my heart to think about if only's. (No offense, NaruHina, but I can't look at your children without imagining Neji's grave somehow and once again, it hurts).

My heart is scarred forever. I have tried to move on to another OTP ever since Neji's death, but have always failed. I'm done. I don't know what to do with my fangirlism anymore.

Call me immature or what, but just imagine what you would feel if it was your OTP and not NejiTen. Give us freedom to mourn over this unfairness.


End file.
